Nick Clegg thinks Theresa May's government has 'technophobia'

Nick Clegg wants the UK to embrace new technologies
instead of shying away from them.

The former deputy Prime Minister is set to accuse the
incumbent government of having "technophobia" in a talk at the
ad:tech conference in London on Thursday.

Former deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is set to accuse Theresa
May's government of suffering from technophobia on Thursday.

In a speech at the ad:tech conference in London, Clegg will say
some politicians are ignorant and fearful of technological
change. He will also criticise technologists like Elon Musk for
spreading what he perceives to be "catastrophic visions of the
future."

"Why, you might ask, am I getting involved in this debate? I
don’t claim to be the most technologically savvy of politicians,
but I have seen first hand what technophobia can do in the hands
of policy makers," Clegg will say, before explaining how the
current government is being "technophobic."

"What's really needed — and what's missing — is the capacity for
leaders in both the tech and political world to work together,"
Clegg will say. "Politicians all too often believe that they can
grab a few easy headlines by condemning the big tech companies,
and too many folk in Silicon Valley believe all Governments are
the enemy. This combination — of ignorance and fear amongst some
politicians, and arrogance and naivety amongst some parts of the
tech community — means the two talk past each other."

He will add: "I think there is an urgent need for politicians to
begin to grapple with the unfolding revolution in AI, biotech,
robotics and other cutting edge technologies."

On the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) specifically, Clegg
will say that he is confident AI can be developed safely and
ethically in places like the UK. However, he's concerned that
some nations might look to exploit the benefits of AI for wrong
doing.

"In authoritarian capitalist systems like China, however, I do
not have the same confidence that the development of AI will be
governed by the same high standards of accountability and
transparency," Clegg will say.

"We know that much of the research into AI is going on in secret
in closed, autocratic regimes, and we know why. As Vladimir Putin
recently said, 'whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will
become the ruler of the world.'"

He will add: "You can bet that Putin has his eye on the potential
for AI to revolutionise cyber warfare to the suppression of his
own political opponents. What this means is we are effectively in
an arms race."

Clegg has set up a think tank called Open Reason, which is about
to start conducting research into the social and political
impacts of technology.